Litigation lawyer on weekdays, and a musician on weekends, Yuvraj Khanna is a busy 23-year-old. Between High Court appearances and playing the drums with his band Chaos in the Capital, Khanna also manages to make time for his other passion: the passage of time.

"I’ve always been curious how the city has changed over the centuries,” he said. “New Delhi, as we know it, is the 11th city of Delhi. As a result, history is always a stone's throw away here.”

At some point, the lanky lawyer began to source old images of the national capital – he wanted to do something that would capture the ways in which the city had changed, but that was different from the before-and-after images freely available online.

The changing traffic near Rashtrapati Bhawan.

"I shortlisted around fifty photographs and had them printed," said Khanna, “then went to all the shortlisted locales to see how much those places had changed, and whether it was still possible to capture some of the same angles taken in the old photographs.”

To think that in the 19th Century the Iron Pillar of Qutub Minar Complex was used as a shoulder rest.

The project, which took about four months from start to finish, then involved Khanna cutting the old photographs in ways specific to each landmark, so that a visual juxtaposition could be created. "It took multiple trips to each landmark and a lot of patience to end up with a satisfactory photo."

This is what PVR Plaza looked like in the 1950s. The 207-feet tricolour in Central Park is a new installation.

Khanna wanted to find an archive of old photographs that he could use, but even without one, he managed to find everything he wanted through extensive Goggling. Thus far, he has faced no copyright issues because of how old the photographs are.

It's a good day when @sodelhi decides to feature your work! The link to the article is : http://so.city/#!/delhi/article/travelling-through-time-to-witness-delhis-past-juxtaposed-bewitchingly-with-the-present This photo shows Skinner's Church or St. James Church in Kashmere Gate,New Delhi being riddled with bullets after the first Indian rebellion against the British in 1857! . . . . . . . . #stjameschurch  #newdelhi  #india  #heydelhi  #omgdelhi #ourdelhi  #dslrofficial  #delhigram #igramming_india  #colorsofindia #natgeotravellerindia  #natgeotravel  #_soi #travelrealindia  #mypixeldiary  #photographersofindia #photooftheday  #fatalframes  #justgoshoot  #canon_photos  #peoplescreative  #beurban  #urbanview  #createexploretakeover  #everydayindia  #agameoftones  #instagoodmyphotos  #editoftheday  #meistershots  #sodelhi

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St James Church at Kashmere Gate riddled with bullets from the revolt of 1857.

The first time he picked up a digital camera, Khanna was sixteen.

"I learnt the basics of photography on a Nikon FM-10 SLR, and then grew to appreciate the value of film," said Khanna. "That’s translated into my own small collection of film cameras." One of his prized possessions is a Yashica TLR that he found in Chandni Chowk. "I now use a Canon 600D and take my camera everywhere.”

A self-described Delhi boy with a little bit of the Pind, Khanna says he takes photos because "I enjoy documenting and archiving things around me”.

From cycles to cars, what traffic once looked like at Rashtrapati Bhawan.

At present, Khanna is a little more than halfway through the series, with a few more exciting photographs still to be posted. The young lawyer is constantly on the lookout for any old photos that have the potential for a visual juxtaposition.

"I shall definitely add to the collection if I do come across them.”

Armoured cars passing through India Gate in the 1930s vis a vis the electric toy cars that ply there now. Note the absence of the Amar Jawan Jyoti.

Parts of Old Delhi, Khanna discovered, have changed beyond recognition. ”Shahjahanbad has come far far away from its glory days," he said. "I still plan to visit again though. Hopefully, I’ll have better luck the next time.”

It's not everyday that Homegrown features your work! The article has some rather fascinating photos and even a small write-up about the project. Do give it a read :) The URL is: http://homegrown.co.in/photographer-compares-pre-independence-delhi-to-its-modern-avatar-in-these/ This photo shows the seemingly endless green gardens of Humayuns's Tomb bring used as farming land in the early 1900s . . . . . . . . . . #humayunstomb  #newdelhi  #india  #delhidiaries  #dfordelhi  #dslrofficial  #delhigram #igramming_india  #colorsofindia #natgeotravellerindia  #natgeotravel  #_soi #travelrealindia  #mypixeldiary #photographersofindia  #photooftheday #fatalframes  #justgoshoot  #canon_photos #peoplescreative  #beurban  #urbanview #createexploretakeover  #everydayindia #agameoftones  #instagoodmyphotos  #editoftheday  #meistershots  #sodelhi

A photo posted by Yuvraj Khanna (@yuv.sees) on

The now endless green gardens of Humayun's Tomb being used as farm land in the early 1900s.

Khanna is yet to showcase this project in a gallery, though he is open to the idea. He hopes to collaborate with other artists who might be able to help him gain access to the city’s archives.

Happy Independence Day everyone! I'm glad none of us relate to the feeling of the need for tanks to patrol our streets as they once deed in 1947 to curb the riots that marred our independence. The tank in this photo was crossing Outer Circle,Connaught Place. . . . . . . . . . #connaughtplace  #newdelhi #india #delhidiaries  #dfordelhi  #dslrofficial  #delhigram #igramming_india  #colorsofindia #natgeotravellerindia  #natgeotravel  #_soi #travelrealindia  #mypixeldiary #photographersofindia  #photooftheday #fatalframes  #justgoshoot  #canon_photos #peoplescreative  #beurban  #urbanview #createexploretakeover  #everydayindia #agameoftones  #instagoodmyphotos  #editoftheday #meistershots  #sodelhi #meistershots

A photo posted by Yuvraj Khanna (@yuv.sees) on

An army tank crossing Outer Circle, Connaught Place, during the riots in Delhi in 1947.

"I know my city better because of the project now," Khanna said, describing his Instagram journey. "I hope that anybody who sees these photographs also learns a little bit more about our Capital."

Ever wondered how the city we love has changed through the centuries? This Independence Day I'll be giving you a glimpse into Delhi's past. Through this series of photographs, I'll attempt to bridge the gap between past and present, while trying to get some good clicks along the way. The above picture shows the construction of India Gate in the early 1900s Stay tuned for more! . . . . . . . . . . . . #indiagate #newdelhi #india #delhidiaries #delhiwale #dfordelhi #dslrofficial #delhigram #igramming_india #colorsofindia #natgeotravellerindia #natgeotravel #_soi #travelrealindia #mypixeldiary #photographersofindia #photooftheday #fatalframes #justgoshoot #canon_photos #peoplescreative #beurban #urbanview #createexploretakeover #everydayindia #agameoftones #instagoodmyphotos #editoftheday #meistershots #sodelhi

A photo posted by Yuvraj Khanna (@yuv.sees) on

India Gate being constructed in 1931.